Friday, September 30, 2011

Landau Thefts & Library Security

There's a very good piece in today's Wall Street Journal about the Landau/Savedoff thefts and about the continuing threat from thieves like them to the archival materials held in libraries around the world. Among the new information:

- NARA inspector general Paul Brachfeld says that as many as 2,500 of the more than 10,000 items removed from Landau's home may be stolen, and that prosecutors found several jackets in the apartment with custom-made pockets for secreting documents out of libraries. Brachfeld says that investigators are currently informing libraries which were likely hit by the duo, adding "We're going to surprise a lot of people."

- Savedoff's next court date is 27 October, and he's expected to enter a guilty plea.

- Prosecutors are now saying that the University of Vermont's library was a target of Landau's, and Jeffrey Marshall says that they're missing some 60 documents (but wouldn't say whether Landau and Savedoff visited there).

- Landau is currently under house arrest, and has requested permission to sell off artwork in order to pay his living expenses.

Under the current indictments, Landau and Savedoff could face up to 15 years each in prison. I hope they get every minute of that time, and I hope that this case will finally serve as a wakeup call to the many libraries out there who still haven't gotten the message that there are creeps like Landau and Savedoff in their reading rooms, scheming and plotting every day.

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About Me

News and commentary on book history, library culture, digital humanities, archives and related subjects. Written by Jeremy Dibbell, a bibliophile, haunter of used bookstores, and special collections librarian. Email: philobiblos@gmail.com.